FILE PHOTO: Adam Morrison (3) of the Gonzaga Bulldogs hangs his head after losing to the UCLA Bruins during the third round game of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Arena in Oakland on March 23, 2006 in Oakland, California. The Bruins defeated the Bulldogs 73-71. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Like beach erosion, the enormity of Gonzaga basketball sneaks up on us.

Until 1999 the Zags had been to one NCAA basketball tournament. They have played in every one since then.

Gonzaga has won 25 or more games in seven consecutive seasons. There is little question that Mark Few, expanding on what current Long Beach State coach Dan Monson started, has fashioned the best college basketball program on the West Coast, for whatever that is worth.

This is a mind-bending transformation for a school that seemed stuck in the middle of the West Coast Conference.

The Zags, in fact, have done everything except the one thing the casual fan recognizes. Their wall has no Final Four banners.

That was supposed to change in 2006. Instead, Gonzaga ran into UCLA.

The Bruins’ 73-71 victory over Gonzaga in the regional semifinals, in Oakland, was the springboard for three consecutive Bruin visits to the Final Four. It was affirmation that Ben Howland was the right man for the job, especially after UCLA beat Memphis in the regional final two days later.

It also sparked the wildest celebration by UCLA players and fans in many a year, because it was so sudden. The Bruins trailed by 13 at halftime, 17 early in the second half and nine with three minutes to go.

When it was over, assistant coach Donny Daniels came out of the locker room and said, in true wonderment, “How did we do that?”

Daniels is now an assistant in Gonzaga. So he does not often bring it up.

“With about two minutes to go, I was sitting there thinking, ‘Four or five things have to go right for us to win this.’’’ Daniels said Friday. “And all of them did. They missed shots they’ve made 1,000 times. Everything that had to happen, happened.”

Gonzaga people would snort at the perception of UCLA as an underdog. Four Bruins starters ‑ Jordan Farmar, Arron Afflalo, Luc Mbah a Moute and Ryan Hollins ‑ are still in the NBA nine seasons later, and so is reserve Darren Collison.

After all, the Bruins were seeded second in the region, the Zags third.

But Adam Morrison was the national Player of the Year for the Zags, and they were 28-4, and they certainly felt like favorites as they meticulously sliced up Howland’s prized man-to-man defense.

“We had to start pressing,” Howland said. “We didn’t have any choice at that point.”

It looked unlikely when David Pendergraft put the Zags up by 10 with 5:21 to go.

But that would be their final field goal.

Morrison’s two free throws put UCLA down 71-62 with 3:26 left.

That would be Gonzaga’s final point.

The Bruins did not cut the lead to 71-68 until 0:52 showed on the clock.

After that, different people remember different things.

Daniels remembers Hollins, tall and slight, making the two foul shots that pushed UCLA to within 71-70. Hollins was a 60 percent free-thrower. He would carry that sudden touch into the win over Memphis two days later.

“I remember Morrison had a couple of bad shots he usually makes,” Howland said.

“Then we trapped Morrison in the corner,” Daniels said, “when we were trying to foul, and he threw it to (J.P.) Batista.”

The Brazilian big man was immediately trapped by Farmar and Boseman, who slapped the ball loose. Mbah a Moute saw it and went straight for the bucket, and Farmar found him for the go-ahead hoop. It was UCLA’s first lead.

At that point the Coliseum rocked with the kind of panicked disbelief that you only hear in March.

Derek Raivio got the ball at midcourt and was dribbling when Mbah a Moute, sliding on his belly to get the ball by any means necessary, took it away.

“It was amazing,” Howland said, “He had just scored on that great play and now he looked like some soccer player.”

Famously, Morrison collapsed at the foul line and his body shook with sobs.

“He’s a warrior,” Few said. “I’ll never coach anybody like him again.”

It is hard to imagine one player being so central to a team that won so much.

“I think I watched that game just once, a couple of days later, just to see what happened,” Daniels said.

Howland savored the CBS feed. Every time he sees frenetic play-by-play man Gus Johnson, now with Fox, he greets him with “What…A….Game!”

Nine years later it still is. Except in Spokane.

Three things to know about Gonzaga-UCLA

1. Fifteen years ago Gonzaga beat UCLA 59-43, the Bruins’ lowest point total in Pauley Pavilion.